OpenAI says it plans to start testing ads inside ChatGPT in the U.S. in the coming weeks, beginning with ads shown at the bottom of answers for certain logged-in users. The company says the tests are aimed at expanding access to ChatGPT with fewer usage limits for people who do not want to pay for a subscription.
The planned ad test applies to logged-in adults in the U.S. who use the free version of ChatGPT and the company’s low-cost ChatGPT Go tier, according to OpenAI. OpenAI also says Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise subscriptions will not include ads.
Where ads will appear
OpenAI says the first format it plans to test places ads “at the bottom of answers” when there is a relevant sponsored product or service tied to the user’s current conversation. The company says ads will be clearly labeled and separated from the organic response.
OpenAI also says users will be able to learn more about why they are seeing a specific ad, and they can dismiss an ad and share feedback. One report says OpenAI did not describe exactly what data it will collect to serve relevant ads.
Privacy and response independence
OpenAI says ChatGPT’s answers will not be influenced by advertising, and that responses are optimized for what is most helpful to the user rather than what advertisers want. The company says it keeps conversations private from advertisers and does not sell user data to advertisers.
OpenAI also says it does not optimize for “time spent” in ChatGPT and that it prioritizes user trust and user experience over revenue. The company says users will have control over personalization, including the ability to turn off ad personalization and clear the data used for ads at any time.
Limits on who sees ads
OpenAI says it will not show ads in accounts where the user says they are under 18 or where OpenAI predicts the user is under 18. OpenAI also says ads will not be eligible to appear near sensitive or regulated topics such as health, mental health, or politics.
Another report similarly says OpenAI will not show ads to accounts under 18 and will not run ads tied to sensitive subjects like health or politics. That report also says users can dismiss ads or opt out of personalization.
Why OpenAI is doing this
OpenAI says it is working toward a future where “everyone can have a personal super-assistant,” and it frames advertising as one way to broaden access to its tools without requiring everyone to pay. OpenAI says it has been trying to make powerful AI more accessible through a free product and a low-cost subscription tier called ChatGPT Go.
OpenAI says ChatGPT Go launched in 171 countries since August and that it is bringing Go to the U.S. and everywhere ChatGPT is available at $8 per month. OpenAI says Go provides expanded access to features including messaging, image creation, file uploads, and memory.
OpenAI also says ads can be “transformative” for small businesses and emerging brands trying to compete. The company says it plans to refine how ads appear over time using feedback while keeping its focus on trust and user-first principles.
What leaders and past chatter add
One report says OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote on X that OpenAI will not accept money to influence ChatGPT’s responses. The same report says Altman also suggested many people want to use a lot of AI and do not want to pay, and that he hopes a model like this can work.
That report also says that in May 2024 at an event at Harvard University, Altman described ads as a “last resort” and said “ads plus AI” felt uniquely unsettling. The same report says ChatGPT had 800 million weekly active users as of early October 2025.
Another report says user frustration rose in recent weeks after people posted screenshots on social media of ChatGPT replies recommending products that did not match their questions, and that OpenAI described those as poorly timed “suggestions.” That report also says earlier reports indicated OpenAI had been testing ad concepts internally, including formats and disclosures intended to reduce user pushback.
